you know, when i watch your videos, you always have this semi serious tone and face when judging the food, but when you were eating the bbq bare handed, you had this childlike happiness on your face. its great man.
@jamm8284Ай бұрын
The way he looked up and back in is like getting the Christmas present you most wanted that your parents kept on saying was too much to get. The absolute joy mixed with disbelief that your dreams actually came true 😂
@tobascogladiomatteo4843Ай бұрын
Real food .... All the luxury in the world can't beat comfort food.
@alisarpmestcioglu71111 күн бұрын
@@tobascogladiomatteo4843 it beats it almost every day for me
@ezrabrownstein3237Ай бұрын
Just want to say that I like the way that you don't try to hide your wealth but also don't flex it so upfront. It is grounded. You enjoy nice things but are immensely appreciative and also have a certain humility and respect for the work of others. It isn't "This isnt good," but rather, "it isn't to my tastes."
@marktheshark573322 күн бұрын
It’s because it feels like he’s just talking about his hobbies. He comes off as very honest and genuine
@MiniNoahTheWormАй бұрын
Whenever I feel like this concept might get old and that it will be an overload of fancy food you break it up by telling some stories of your trip or the staff or the owner. Love seeing your videos develop and good job keeping them both informative and entertaining
@zes7215Ай бұрын
wrrr
@ChumbahNutzАй бұрын
Highly amusing that the 3* Atelier Crenn receives a decidely subdued "meh", yet Busters gets a "F*cking Amazing". Maybe a side project of "Alexander Does BBQ"?
@zes7215Ай бұрын
wr
@mae1kerАй бұрын
I mean, it is entirely different. The 3* will be graded based on an entirely different scale. Texas BBQ will always be Texas BBQ,
@ZattaBoyАй бұрын
Because BBQ was tested by time and tasted by millions.
@zacablasterАй бұрын
@@ZattaBoy BBQ folk don't let Michelin in because all those tire salesmen do is jack up prices and make nice affordable things into rich people shit
@effmerunningАй бұрын
Thats because Michelin star restaurants are jokes. Pretention. Just ask MPW
@ChunandRiceАй бұрын
I love your honest, professional, but also genuine tone to all of these videos. No hyperbolic statements, a real interest in the places you go, and an unpretentious attitude towards these fancy looking dishes. Thank you for making these videos, looking forward to even more!
@StonedSpagooterАй бұрын
You are going to be a great ambassador for the food community in the coming years Stay humble, friend
@zes7215Ай бұрын
wrr
@whyitmatterstomeАй бұрын
Humble? Okay.
@robinpaulse4608Ай бұрын
The eyes lighting up after tasting the BBQ😅
@zes7215Ай бұрын
wr
@Burnzee94Ай бұрын
I feel so much more connected to him now!
@DazulolwarriorАй бұрын
That barbeque was so fucking good Alexander had to say it to make a point 😂
@paolointhenightАй бұрын
I burst out laughing when he said that. Glad to know he appreciates both fine dining and simple, soulful food
@zes7215Ай бұрын
wrr, outx, can outx etc any nmw s perfx
@spideraxe9325Ай бұрын
Man I love that you also include a small history lesson of the area with your videos, huge props to the whole team
@kingofmemes6931Ай бұрын
This is one of my favorite videos in a while. The sharp criticisms that Alexander had combined with the gentle praises really brought home the idea that Alexander really is doing his best to review restaurants impartially. I also really love how the video is extended with food that is not *just* from the Michelin star restaurants. Seeing the food from the airplane and the BBQ at the end of the video was fantastic. Also that ending is amazing. Keep it up, I am excited to see the rest of the videos from California!
@N-Soc88Ай бұрын
I've watched Alex eat countless $1000+ meals since I found his channel, and have never seen his face light-up like it did when eating that BBQ.
@ilovetolearn999Ай бұрын
which video is it
@ZakRoMАй бұрын
@@ilovetolearn999 this video
@N-Soc88Ай бұрын
@@ilovetolearn999 This one. It's at around 16:19.
@blznft951321 күн бұрын
@N-Soc88 thanks for the time stamp
@danielholmqvist2713Ай бұрын
After watching your old videos too, I really appreciate how you present the wine and service along with the food, and not clumped together at the end. It really only makes sense and is the way to go. These videos are what makes the channel great.
@mcmdrpiffle447Ай бұрын
One of your Best Alexander ! The BBQ at the end.... "it was fucking good" Spoken like a true American ! Enjoy the rest of your stay here. I'm in Santa Cruz, just below San Francisco. I've visited several of these restaurants. We've got it good here in 'Northern California', we really do. Thank you for highlighting this ! Subscribed for a couple of years, bell rung, and ... Enjoy !
@unapproachablelightАй бұрын
I’m with you. The warmth and delightful personality of the pastry chef stole the show.
@erwindennijs6639Ай бұрын
I don’t always agree with specific focus points in Alex’s videos but that’s because we expect a different experience from our dinner. But I do appreciate and respect Alex expertise and opinion very much
@thalia2683Ай бұрын
Me too !!
@snoopycs1102Ай бұрын
No one cares about your opinion tho
@ZakRoMАй бұрын
@@snoopycs1102 by giving his opinion, his engaging movement in the channel, already 3 replies, this helps the channel grow and to be recommended to more people, so most likely Alexander and his team do care.
@aq5426Ай бұрын
I love your reviews, Alexander. Your perspective is very refreshing and it's nice to see reviews that are not just honest but also constructive.
@zes7215Ай бұрын
wr
@bradjohnson482Ай бұрын
The professional reviewers I've found online are nothing but gushes of wonderment, but when I found actual customers, many of their reviews matched yours. The only "wonderment" in several reviews was that the restaurant had 3 stars. No dairy, and pescatarian only. To an outsider, like myself, this would seem like climbing Everest (even more so than normal) to get 3 stars.
@ep1981Ай бұрын
Some of the techniques on display here are extraordinary - those cauliflower gold plated leaves... incredible. Thanks for bringing us on the journey. Looking forward to this California series - TFL was the restaurant that got me into fine dining, so looking forward to that one in particular.
@kapnobataiiАй бұрын
i don't know why this channel doesn't have over 1mil followers yet... best food critic of the 21st century.
@matthewsnyder77Ай бұрын
I'm glad to see more restaurants giving attention to non- alcoholic beverage programs, would've loved some detail about the juice pairing here.
@sam-to1mwАй бұрын
Love the production, editing and story telling. Alex can also provide comprehensive reviews, be super professional in his analysis and yet still show his personality and 'fun' side when he needs. One of my favourite channels by far, which I've been following since 10k subscribers.
@dirkhartog7438Ай бұрын
Your comment about Busters while wearing normal civvies put a big smile on my face. I like 3 star Michelin restaurants as much as the next foodie, but all that fancy food can get oddly monotonous after a while (both eating and watching). Would be great if you added restaurants that had Michelin potential or just very popular comfort food (as long as it was high quality). The research may be tougher and different but I think it would add variety to your videography. Also, you could do themed shows like your favorite steakhouse(s) in NY, Tapas in Barcelona, Teppanyaki in Tokyo - maybe even compare 2 of the best on the same show. As you know in every great food city there are dozens of great restaurants that do not have a Michelin star. I think viewers would be interested. I know I would be.
@marco42863Ай бұрын
Ottimo commento
@jonathanprovost6746Ай бұрын
The format of these videos is incredible. Its Chefs Table quality but more personable. Love the history lessons / location introductions and the honest reviews. Look forward to more videos.
@skymuffnАй бұрын
…stumbling on here has been such a treat. Your take on the finer things is quite candid yet ideally structured, I find very refreshing as too is the lovely pastry chef. I just love how you presented your experience at Atelier Crenn, oh the soirée of the staff is maddening but oh so American (Native of the Bay Area). In 2012 I had my folks have their 45th anniversary there and had emailed the staff regarding my father’s health and if they can arrange any non alcoholic pairings. They quickly replied and with no hesitation did a superb job. And Miss Crenn herself met them. So I sent her a thank you card with an an Oregon Pinot Noir from my friends Winery. She sent me an invite with my folks to her new Bistro Petit Crenn in 2015 and went in Nov and it was amazing. I sent her more wine as a late Xmas Gift of gratitude for giving my family a memorable evening with Dad for on Christmas Eve he passed. She is an amazing person and glad she is doing great but hot dang the total bill is far from my last visit with Mom in 2018
@DetvanligaАй бұрын
Great review as always. The presentations looks absolutely amazing!! .
@Alvaro-qz6qkАй бұрын
Damn, your tailoring is always on point
@fkcoolers2669Ай бұрын
Yeah I'm pretty sure he's getting almost all his stuff done bespoke
@amandavokins5958Ай бұрын
suave and v attractive.
@Zissou42Ай бұрын
Tacking on a 2% surcharge for health coverage to a $1500 meal is peak USA. But it tracks with a chef/owner having their waitstaff doing laps.
@raphaeleagleАй бұрын
Yes I saw that too, as a european I will never understand this tip and extras culture.. btw, I saw there was a 20% service included what does that actually mean? does it mean the staff gets automatically 20% and you dont have to tip?
@RadeTcgАй бұрын
For those asking Tock is a website he used to book the restaurant it likely required him to pay a deposit hence the - $1000 off
@mosmarbАй бұрын
The entire reservation at Atelier Crenn is prepaid on Tock, hence the deduction there. Same at Alinea for instance, or for The Fat Duck over here in the UK (also using Tock).
@Kitty879126 күн бұрын
Yes, they charge you ahead for each diner + 20% gratuity. You have the option to select your wine/drink pairings when you book online as well, or defer until your actual dinner. Also, you can not change date/time. You would have to sell/transfer the reservation via Tock. [This would strictly be for exactly what you paid for, can not charge an additional fee. You would have to do that via some other method outside of Tock.]
@stianaslaksen5799Ай бұрын
I love the bits of history and storytelling in your videos. Great work!
@rudra8833Ай бұрын
The red flower in a field of snow is Chef Diana Zaldivar!
@rudolfpunt3286Ай бұрын
Best video yet. Love your comment with the BBQ!
@jakerio8Ай бұрын
Love that you take us all with you through the entire experience each time and the honesty. 💯
@Joe_InglesАй бұрын
Alexander, you're on point about the service being lacking. Having dined in many Michelin Star establishments in Europe and in the United States, it just feels like the United States tends to have a much more mechanical style of service with more room for the service team to express their individual prejudices and attitudes - maybe it's a cultural/social thing. For example, your ethnicity, age, etc. are from my experience as being on the younger side of your average fine dining guest and being of Asian descent, are somewhat factored in and sometimes staff/chefs will act less friendly/hospitable to you based on some of those factors it seems. Three star restaurants in the U.S. don't have as much room for error like what I've previously described, but I've had some horrible experiences at many one and two-starred establishments where if the service is bad and you give a lower tip than what was customary, the staff would bat you with an side-eye or give you an cold attitude/demeanor, and at best the service in the U.S. is just professional and mechanical with little room for dialogue or conversation with the service team like what you experienced at Atelier Crenn. Although I haven't personally been to Atelier Crenn, the service is quite similar to that of Quince in my opinion, although everybody was respectful even if there wasn't much flavor to the service. I've found the best service I've probably had was at Thomas Keller's Per Se, and at Single Thread Farms. Meanwhile in Europe, almost all of the establishments I visited were not only professional but had flair to their service, which really made it stand out.
@robdielemans9189Ай бұрын
Good read. Having only been to European Michelin starred restaurants, the service is almost always great and tailor made to the table. Usually they start out formal and with every interaction they know how to cater a little bit more to the overall feel of the table and even communicate that piece of knowledge to the rest of the staff.
@Koenigg99Ай бұрын
@@robdielemans9189 It's the tipping culture. They think that hovering around and being overly attentive will lead to a bigger tip.
@Joe_InglesАй бұрын
@@robdielemans9189 Exactly! I'm glad we feel the same way! In my experience European head chefs will also oftentimes even come out of the kitchen and have a chat with all the guests dining one by one and have some conversations on the food, and even ask for some constructive criticisms. Combined with what you said as well about how the entire service staff in Europe is well versed and well communicated, I think this level of professionalism and hospitality is something that the U.S. fine dining establishments could learn from as well.
@ALX112358Ай бұрын
@@Joe_Ingles the attitude "overly polite but with a blatant lack of empathy" is what I've heard about US services. Not surprising that it extends to Michelin star restaurants as well.
@stryker94109Ай бұрын
This native San Franciscan (now Sonoma resident) hopes you'll return soon, Alexander! Your station is THE BEST! Cheers! Craig
@MrZorroZorroZАй бұрын
Never expected to see my house in Alexander's videos but here we are at 0:49 😂
@Elias-iy1dyАй бұрын
thx im coming right now
@almichaels4128Ай бұрын
Me too
@MrZorroZorroZАй бұрын
@@Elias-iy1dywonderful what do you want for dinner honey ❤
@SeraphimLeoАй бұрын
Thank God it wasn't at 11:33
@SeraphimLeoАй бұрын
Glad it wasn't 11:33
@happywilliam1Ай бұрын
Love that you visited the winery and gave us the history from it, thank you!
@afoodcriticsmonologАй бұрын
Great review Alex, you are really at the forefront on this platform when it comes to give great insights of high-end restaurants 👏 Keep up the fantastic job you and the team are doing 👍
@PeckishMarcioАй бұрын
Might be one of your best videos so far, great job! Looking forward to the next chapter in California.
@olicorrivo3289Ай бұрын
Definitely the best subscribe click of the year so far for me. Keep it up Alexander 👍This series seems exciting. I bet we gonna see a lot of green starred restaurant in California, they got all the ingredients in their backyards. Also love the wineries and vineyards history bits, they should be in every videos 😄
@UltimaRedFireEskimo13 күн бұрын
As a San Francisco native, really enjoyed watching you enjoy this fun town 😊 hope y’all ate well and had a great trip
@nicbarrax76Ай бұрын
I just love your videos... They're like a calm moment between the fast videos and shorts here on KZfaq. Keep up the great work! 🙏👍
@literallyshaking8019Ай бұрын
Maybe I’m not sophisticated, but that $30 BBQ would make me far happier than the $1500 fine dining/food science experience.
@MrWhangdoodlesАй бұрын
I believe they are just like preferences in different styles of music. Some like country, some pop, and others classical. Each fanbase have radically different cultures, but they're all enjoyers of music. Same with food. Some prefer their own local cuisines and mores and then decide to dip their feet into different styles. There is no better or worse. They all have beauty in their own ways. 😊
@raymondzrike2085Ай бұрын
All kinds of dining has the capacity to be a great time. Also note, the price of BBQ had inflated dramatically over the last few years (in Texas at least), so it’s not always a cheap meal anymore. Go look at the BBQ subreddit and you’ll see the price inflation. And $1500 for fine dining is very uncommon-Alex just buys the highest-end wines that are available to him at any moment. The menu at Disfrutar, for instance, is currently $315, and that’s even after a recent price increase.
@mosmarbАй бұрын
@@MrWhangdoodles agree, there's definitely room for both. I visit Michelin-starred restaurants as a bit of a hobby (though Idon't really spend as much as Alexander because I don't take the wine pairing) but every now and again all I really want is a plate of egg and chips! Good food done well is a treat, however much it costs.
@fridengieger999Ай бұрын
I don’t think it’s a lack of sophistication. Some people just love the novelty, creativity and complexity that comes with these kind of restaurants. However Alexander proves that you are not wrong. He love that BBQ too!
@noahandal8695Ай бұрын
The quality of every one of these videos is so great, keep up the excellent work
@tasiashiraoriАй бұрын
3:06 LOL! Reminds me of my brother when he reach 21, he told me not to stop him from having his first beer 😂
@Question_MarkedАй бұрын
that bbq had his face smiling bigger then i ever seen in any video
@BustersBBQ5 күн бұрын
Thank you for your compliments! Glad you enjoyed the BBQ. Be sure to let us know next time you swing through. We appreciate you! ~Buster
@temporamenАй бұрын
Can't wait for the rest of this series!
@jellokhatАй бұрын
Absolutely loved seeing some wine names that I actually live around in this video
@Pabloaxolotl5628Ай бұрын
My family and I had a similar experience at Atelier Crenn. It was good, as expected from a 3 Michelin star restaurant, but a bit underwhelming. No dish really wowed us. The deserts were also the best part of our meal though.
@TimK2646Ай бұрын
The creativity and artistry is second to none. Really appreciate creme de la creme
@laughingman370Ай бұрын
i really like your content. I just noticed that the music in this video, atleast in the beginning, was very loud. Keep up the good work!
@bennytan6272Ай бұрын
I see a fly on table at 5:12 please take star away😂
@TheBrokenEclipseАй бұрын
Great video once again! So when are we getting the BBQ place review?
@Cant111Ай бұрын
I never miss your vidéos now ahah Great ambassador for the food community. You really are our "inspecteur pour le guide Michelin" ahah
@mikethompson148Ай бұрын
The KZfaq algorithm finally got something right.
@82RmartinezАй бұрын
Hope you enjoyed your tour of California, so cool to see content closer to home
@debbieelkington1643Ай бұрын
The march of the Crenn staff would kill the experience for me- thank you for your honest review!
@Jorg05111980Ай бұрын
Those shots of the waiters walking around made me feel you were waiting for a subway
@TheLuftieАй бұрын
Nice one your video and impressions gave me the same feelings you explained . Just back from Barcelona where i visited a non stars restaurant and a high level rated restaurant and honestly the non stars restaurant was for me the better one . Grts
@ALX112358Ай бұрын
That airplane food. I wish I had such comfort when flying...
@bawseeeee602Ай бұрын
poor boy
@Koenigg99Ай бұрын
Step 1: be rich
@DS-qz2guАй бұрын
@@bawseeeee602 If you're commenting stuff like that, you definitely don't have money either 😂
@bawseeeee602Ай бұрын
@@DS-qz2gu yes
@MrAtaguasАй бұрын
This is literally free consultation I wonder if any of these chefs or owners watch these videos for tips for continual improvement? On a separate note I love the thoughtfulness in these videos and the specificity with regards to what you like and how to improve some stuff. I wonder if you could do a video on 1,2 and 3 michellin star restaurants in the same type of cuisine or region to see the difference in what you get per michellin star
@themearkatАй бұрын
I've really enjoyed the concept of most of Crenn's food since I saw them on iron chef. Always fresh and innovative!
@SauteusАй бұрын
would be great to also get a more detailed view of the non-alcoholic pairing!
@sea4849Ай бұрын
Yes, I would love to see what is contained in the juice pairing.
@got2b981Ай бұрын
You eating the barbecue at the end was hilarious 😂😂😂
@dlvanderpeet2602Ай бұрын
So happy to see you went to California! Cheers.
@dannjrad2109Ай бұрын
I've been eagerly waiting for this series to drop!!! Super excited to see the future reviews of restaurants in and around the Bay Area.
@blakeluvsu1Ай бұрын
yo the barbeque lmaoooo you should do a bbq tour in the southeast USA!
@RiskmanglerАй бұрын
"A red flower in a snowy field." - Also the perfect description of this channel compared to everything else on KZfaq.
@adjusted-bunny3 күн бұрын
When I add 1 plus 1 together I guess Alexander's restaurant is more of a hobby for him. His money comes from somewhere else. And evidently he has loads of it.
@neildphoenixАй бұрын
Finally you told us about the sweets ( desserts & Petit fours) ABOUT TIME!
@wenting2457Ай бұрын
Your criticism at 12:06 is very similar to a criticism I had dining at another California restaurant, this one with 2 stars, Providence. The service was very attentive, but they were constantly hovering, tried to take a dish or two away early, and we had two different servers ask if we wanted more wine back-to-back. It was also a more crowded/compact restaurant, and so it felt a bit overwhelming
@AlecNerdАй бұрын
Been waiting for this one!
@jamm8284Ай бұрын
I've never been to a high end restaurant but I agree with the service interrupting the experience. If you are not eating, you are likely having a conversation with your guests, which means they will always either ask you a question while you have food in your mouth or interrupt your own conversation. The only reason you want to talk to the server while eating is for a drink or if there is something wrong. Best case scenario you don't notice the waiter unless you want to notice them.
@erwindennijs6639Ай бұрын
Thoroughly enjoying these vids
@subarticb5670Ай бұрын
Same here. Glad I found this channel.
@adamrasmussen7379Ай бұрын
It's always fun to see others opinions. I've had the same menu and I very much enjoyed the dishes that didn't work for him. With service I completely agree. It almost seems like parody the way they hover over you.
@jonnibelugabat2600Ай бұрын
Love to see shouting out the staff, from the people by the people
@LeonhardMrkosАй бұрын
i love this format and it was nice to see you also eat normal people food and not just michelin star food.
@dpovlakАй бұрын
Can't wait to watch this and look forward to where you are going in the area I call Home. Lots of stars to choose from!
@chapithedrummer1502Ай бұрын
I’ve been waiting for this for so long I can’t wait to see all of these restaurants. Keep up the great work and there’s a busters bbq close to where I live so now I gotta try it
@racapinangАй бұрын
Great resolution, Alex! I too disliked an event that is very mechanical and offers no room for improvisation, feels like there's no room for a soul!
@douglasmelvin9868Ай бұрын
I love these videos, but good Lord do they hammer home how much it sucks to not be able to do this kind of thing. Alexander is great, and the channel itself is informative, but, ya know, these are once-in-a-lifetime experiences for most of us.
@patrickneale7378Ай бұрын
An interesting California wine fact is that the winemaker for Chateau Montelena at the Judgment of Paris was Miljenko (Mike) Grgich, who went on to found Grgich Hills wines. Mike just passed away last year at age 100. His Grgich Hills Judgment of Paris Chardonnay is their effort to make a chardonnay just like the one that won for Montelena. Enjoy California wines, but don't limit yourself to Napa. There are many other wonderful AVAs in California. I look forward to this series of videos.
@occultrealmsАй бұрын
The hovering servers would have stressed me out too. Such a simple thing that people need to take notice of and inform them to be less like bee's buzzing around a honeypot and more like butterflies waiting to land softly...
@philipgrasso6255Ай бұрын
100% agree about Atelier Crenn! One of the most expensive 3 Star Michelin restaurants in CA ($526 with tax and tip, not including beverages) and arguably the most meh-overthought and robotic. Beautiful presentation but lacking flavor. It doesn’t hold a candle to TFL which is warm, approachable, and steeped in history yet pushes the culinary experience forward.
@VikotnickАй бұрын
Amazingly creative food. But maybe I'm not in the mood today. My friend made a paella in the garden today and it is simple and very good. I'm just probably not in the mood today since it was a sunday with dogs, kids and friends. Something simple is sometimes better.
@TheElectronPusherАй бұрын
Wonderful to see Chateau Montelena mentioned here. Bottleshock is a fun movie worth watching, thanks to the great Alan Rickman.
@ZalixorАй бұрын
The staff being absolutely everywhere all the time would make me so stressed..
@luukgxАй бұрын
Got an extra guest at the table at 5.16 :D
@justinsmarttvАй бұрын
What an experience for your godson! Always great to see your take on these restaurants!
@Viki12ifyАй бұрын
really like the added travel content, keep it up :)
@dum6917Ай бұрын
Thank you for doing this review! I live in the Bay Area and was waiting for you to do a proper review of this restaurant!
@AlsamАй бұрын
Love the videos. Always fun and well done.
@BragglordАй бұрын
I've heard from a lot of people that Atelier Crenn has become a prime example of a 3* that simply isn't worth the money, no way is that tasting menu worth $400+. A lot of SF places seem to take the mickey these days.
@weltraumkolonisatorАй бұрын
best youtube channel without a doubt
@historyofnetworktvАй бұрын
The definitive fine dining channel on KZfaq.
@ALX112358Ай бұрын
I was just thinking that the dish looked odd, and then you say the presentation wasn't to your taste.
@atlastheendАй бұрын
u can never go wrong with Texas BBQ
@NotTheGirlNextDoor6Ай бұрын
the winery! i pray it becomes one of the finests in the world, congratulations!
@brandonluu6665Ай бұрын
Enjoyed your honest review where you weren't afraid to point out the negatives in your opinion. I wonder if there was a stop by the tenderloin...